Doosan chief to lead biggest business lobby group
Park Yong-maan, second from left, chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), stands with the newly appointed non-standing vice chairmen of the business association at the KCCI headquarters in central Seoul, Tuesday. From left are Shinsegae Group Vice Chairman Chung Yong-jin, Park, Hyundai Marine and Fire Insurance Chairman Chung Mong-yun and Samchully Chairman Lee Man-deuk. / Yonhap
By Park Si-soo
Doosan Group Chairman Park Yong-maan was reelected as chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), the business association said Tuesday. He will head the association for another three years.
About 90 voting members of the KCCI’s Seoul unit attended its general meeting at the KCCI headquarters in central Seoul and endorsed Park’s appointment without objection.
The KCCI represents more than 150,000 companies. Park has led the KCCI since August 2013.
“I will cordially accept the result, believing that this is a call on me to work harder for the nation’s economy and better serve member companies for three years,” Park said in an acceptance speech. “I will do my best to bolster the economic and social status of businessmen and revive the sagging economy.”
Park will lead the association in cooperation with 21 non-standing vice chairmen, mostly leaders of senior executives of major conglomerates. Among them are Amore Pacific CEO Suh Kyung-bae, Hyundai Group Chairwoman Hyun Jeong-eun and SeAh Holdings Chairman Lee Soon-hyung.
Three newcomers to the group are Shinsegae Group Vice Chairman Chung Yong-jin, Samchully Chairman Lee Man-deuk and Hyundai Marine and Fire Insurance Chairman Chung Mong-yun.
Born in 1955, Park graduated from Seoul National University with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. He earned an MBA from Boston University and joined Doosan in 1982.
The KCCI chairman is a symbolic position that has limited influence on member companies.
Yet its role of delivering messages from those companies to the government and politicians is increasingly important as President Park Geun-hye tries to reinvigorate the sagging economy with business-friendly policies.
Last month, Finance Minister Choi Kyung-hwan met with Park to discuss ways to revive the economy.
Early this month, main opposition party leader Moon Jae-in met with him, seeking the KCCI’s cooperation to find ways to help reinvigorate the sluggish economy.
The KCCI was the first business association to which Moon paid a courtesy call after he was elected chairman of the New Politics Alliance for Democracy early this month.